UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
6 Mar
2009
Press Review
The major headlines in today's local press is the ongoing tour of the UN Security Council delegation to the Great Lakes and the audit report on public firms submitted to President Kabila through the Parliament for examination.
L'AVENIR reports on the Tuesday visit by the Security Council delegation to Bukavu. The delegation held talks with South Kivu authorities and civil society activists, the paper adds, further indicating that the members of the UN executive body urged the Civil Society to « support the peace and reconciliation initiatives in the region in order to facilitate a smooth holding of the elections set for June 2005 », the paper notes.
The UN Security Council delegation demands that foreign troops leave the DRC, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES titles. The head of the delegation, French ambassador to the UN, Jean-Marc de la Sablière, quoted by the paper, highlighted the need for the withdrawal of these troops, notably « the foreign armed combatants, especially the Rwandan militiamen who are disturbing the peace in Eastern DRC». After the DRC, the UN delegation is due to visit Burundi and Uganda, the paper adds.
Referring to the public firms audit, the same paper mentions in its front page some ill feeling within the Government. An embarrassing dossier on Kabila's table, LE PHARE titles. An embarrassing report is on Joseph Kabila's table, FORUM DES AS says, alluding to the Bakandeja Commission's audit report on public firms. The CEOs had to react to President Kabila's charges against them in a letter addressed to both houses of Parliament. The Head of State condemned «the scale of corruption, misappropriation of public funds and/or embezzlements» in public firms. « It is during the ''hearing'' that the CEOs made some serious revelations including the interferences of supervision ministers in public firms daily management», FORUM DES AS reports, clearly naming half a dozen cabinet members in the Bakandeja Commission's report handed Tuesday to the Head of State through the Speaker of the National Assembly, Olivier Kamitatu.
According to LE PHARE, « lot of hard evidence on mismanagement» have been submitted to Joseph Kabila. « The whole machinery is completely shattered. Olivier Kamitatu had to examine the dossiers one by one. What an exhausting and appalling task! It would be difficult somehow, after such a huge work, to defend friends in political circles or revolutionary comrades of hay days. Too many receipts signed by people believed to be above suspicions. What we are witnessing today is an organised crime of a mafia-like style», the paper writes. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES says only two ministers are clean: « 1 RCD (Congolese Rally for Democracy) minister and1 RCD/N (Congolese Rally for Democracy/National) minister who are not involved in any financial skulduggery over the years». L'AVENIR, for its part, says, « other ministers' hearts are now beating wildly».
MPs are due to examine this Thursday the dossiers on the corrupted Ministers and CEOs, L'OBSERVATEUR announces on its front page. « International financial institutions (the IMF, the World Bank') are closely monitoring Parliament proceedings with respect to the above issue», the paper highlights. LE PHARE says, « National Assembly will shortly hold a historical session». « The Parliament Speaker, Olivier Kamitatu, does not want to give the impression of rushing. He is giving the Head of State and his Vice-Presidents the necessary time to act. Such a task is not easy in a troubled environment where the warmongers' instinct is apparently dominant in the presumed culprits. It is not easy to secure a fair resignation of people with whom you came a long way», the paper underscores, further indicating that while « awaiting the Head of State's response to the report-letter of the Speaker of National Assembly, MPs have rolled up their sleeves at the Parliament», firstly to prepare themselves for the prospect of this Thursday plenary and « make themselves able to face the numerous threats against MPs» which will certainly come from « bad loser-politicians» who swore to «fight for their survival». All the MPs are aware of the threats, LE PHARE says. « Owing to the magnitude of the financial scandal, MPs have decided to make themselves credible to the population by thoroughly playing the game for the national interest. Things are going to get worse, much to the detriment of the looters», the paper concludes.
The Head of State to thunder, the same paper announces. Echoing President Kabila's Spokesman, Kudura Kasongo, LE PHARE recalls a letter from the Congolese President dated 19 May 2004 to the Vice-Presidents as well as to the Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate highlighting the « need to preserve moral values» and alerting cabinet members to the seriousness of the acts of corruption, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds « especially their harmful impact on the country». Joseph Kabila warned, on the same occasion, that anyone involved in such acts would be severely punished and «there would be no political considerations to prevent Justice from doing its job». Kabila gives green light to justice, LE POTENTIEL titles, publishing an official communiqué issued by the President's Spokesman. For this paper, « nothing will, as of now, hamper the beginning of judicial procedures».
« Pitiless Joseph Kabila»: Corrupted Ministers and CEOs in prison, L'AVENIR titles again, indicating that « time is up» for the corrupted to face Justice notwithstanding « the All-inclusive Agreement».
Goma, Lubumbashi and Tshikapa, sink into insecurity, the paper deplores in its front page. According to Human Rights NGOs' report echoed by L'AVENIR, « at least two people are killed in Goma every day»; insecurity has reached its peak in the mining zones where an accusing finger is pointed at the ex-Katangese gendarmes known as the Tigers. In this regard, two ministers were summoned by the Senate, namely, the Interior and Defence Ministers. « It looks as if the proceedings to be transmitted live on national radio and television are going to be stormy in the Parliament's hemicycle this Wednesday», the paper concludes.
The UN Security Council delegation demands that foreign troops leave the DRC, LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES titles. The head of the delegation, French ambassador to the UN, Jean-Marc de la Sablière, quoted by the paper, highlighted the need for the withdrawal of these troops, notably « the foreign armed combatants, especially the Rwandan militiamen who are disturbing the peace in Eastern DRC». After the DRC, the UN delegation is due to visit Burundi and Uganda, the paper adds.
Referring to the public firms audit, the same paper mentions in its front page some ill feeling within the Government. An embarrassing dossier on Kabila's table, LE PHARE titles. An embarrassing report is on Joseph Kabila's table, FORUM DES AS says, alluding to the Bakandeja Commission's audit report on public firms. The CEOs had to react to President Kabila's charges against them in a letter addressed to both houses of Parliament. The Head of State condemned «the scale of corruption, misappropriation of public funds and/or embezzlements» in public firms. « It is during the ''hearing'' that the CEOs made some serious revelations including the interferences of supervision ministers in public firms daily management», FORUM DES AS reports, clearly naming half a dozen cabinet members in the Bakandeja Commission's report handed Tuesday to the Head of State through the Speaker of the National Assembly, Olivier Kamitatu.
According to LE PHARE, « lot of hard evidence on mismanagement» have been submitted to Joseph Kabila. « The whole machinery is completely shattered. Olivier Kamitatu had to examine the dossiers one by one. What an exhausting and appalling task! It would be difficult somehow, after such a huge work, to defend friends in political circles or revolutionary comrades of hay days. Too many receipts signed by people believed to be above suspicions. What we are witnessing today is an organised crime of a mafia-like style», the paper writes. LA TEMPETE DES TROPIQUES says only two ministers are clean: « 1 RCD (Congolese Rally for Democracy) minister and1 RCD/N (Congolese Rally for Democracy/National) minister who are not involved in any financial skulduggery over the years». L'AVENIR, for its part, says, « other ministers' hearts are now beating wildly».
MPs are due to examine this Thursday the dossiers on the corrupted Ministers and CEOs, L'OBSERVATEUR announces on its front page. « International financial institutions (the IMF, the World Bank') are closely monitoring Parliament proceedings with respect to the above issue», the paper highlights. LE PHARE says, « National Assembly will shortly hold a historical session». « The Parliament Speaker, Olivier Kamitatu, does not want to give the impression of rushing. He is giving the Head of State and his Vice-Presidents the necessary time to act. Such a task is not easy in a troubled environment where the warmongers' instinct is apparently dominant in the presumed culprits. It is not easy to secure a fair resignation of people with whom you came a long way», the paper underscores, further indicating that while « awaiting the Head of State's response to the report-letter of the Speaker of National Assembly, MPs have rolled up their sleeves at the Parliament», firstly to prepare themselves for the prospect of this Thursday plenary and « make themselves able to face the numerous threats against MPs» which will certainly come from « bad loser-politicians» who swore to «fight for their survival». All the MPs are aware of the threats, LE PHARE says. « Owing to the magnitude of the financial scandal, MPs have decided to make themselves credible to the population by thoroughly playing the game for the national interest. Things are going to get worse, much to the detriment of the looters», the paper concludes.
The Head of State to thunder, the same paper announces. Echoing President Kabila's Spokesman, Kudura Kasongo, LE PHARE recalls a letter from the Congolese President dated 19 May 2004 to the Vice-Presidents as well as to the Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate highlighting the « need to preserve moral values» and alerting cabinet members to the seriousness of the acts of corruption, embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds « especially their harmful impact on the country». Joseph Kabila warned, on the same occasion, that anyone involved in such acts would be severely punished and «there would be no political considerations to prevent Justice from doing its job». Kabila gives green light to justice, LE POTENTIEL titles, publishing an official communiqué issued by the President's Spokesman. For this paper, « nothing will, as of now, hamper the beginning of judicial procedures».
« Pitiless Joseph Kabila»: Corrupted Ministers and CEOs in prison, L'AVENIR titles again, indicating that « time is up» for the corrupted to face Justice notwithstanding « the All-inclusive Agreement».
Goma, Lubumbashi and Tshikapa, sink into insecurity, the paper deplores in its front page. According to Human Rights NGOs' report echoed by L'AVENIR, « at least two people are killed in Goma every day»; insecurity has reached its peak in the mining zones where an accusing finger is pointed at the ex-Katangese gendarmes known as the Tigers. In this regard, two ministers were summoned by the Senate, namely, the Interior and Defence Ministers. « It looks as if the proceedings to be transmitted live on national radio and television are going to be stormy in the Parliament's hemicycle this Wednesday», the paper concludes.
